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29 April 2025
United States Attorney Habba Launches the District of New Jersey’s Fentanyl Precursor Interception Strike ForceRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba announced today the creation and launch of the District of New Jersey’s Fentanyl Precursor Interception (FPI) Strike Force. Capitalizing on the Office’s preeminence in opioid enforcement, the Strike Force will focus on investigating, prosecuting, and dismantling overseas chemical manufacturers, including those in China, that support Mexican Cartels by flooding our nation’s borders with the precursors used to manufacture deadly fentanyl.
“I am establishing this Strike Force to cut off the supply of chemical precursors that drug cartels rely on to manufacture deadly fentanyl. The District of New Jersey will harness its significant experience in pursing those who contribute to the opioid crisis, to break apart every link in the fentanyl supply chain. The mission of the Strike Force is to stop this deadly poison from entering our borders, and to bring to justice the overseas chemical manufacturers that fuel the cartels.”
- U.S. Attorney Alina Habba
“As we know, fentanyl remains the deadliest drug threat facing the United States, which claimed the lives of over 106,000 Americans in 2023,” stated Special Agent in charge Cheryl Ortiz of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Field Division. “We welcome United States Attorney Habba’s creation of the District of New Jersey’s Fentanyl Precursor Interception (FPI) Strike Force and look forward to working with her and our law enforcement partners in battling this opioid epidemic. Any chance at stopping the flow of these precursor chemicals from reaching our communities, helps save lives.”
The manufacture of fentanyl begins with raw chemicals, known as precursors. Many fentanyl precursors are manufactured and distributed by China-based chemical companies. These manufacturers ship fentanyl precursors around the world, including to the United States. The precursors are then trafficked to Mexico, where drug cartels combine the chemicals and then distribute fentanyl to individual users, smuggling it across our border and throughout the United States.
The flow of fentanyl into the United States has created a public health crisis, caused devastation to American families, and brought violence to our communities. This Office, alongside the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz in Newark, New Jersey, will work tirelessly to stem the tide of fentanyl that cartels send into our country and to keep our communities safe.
Ukrainian Citizens Charged in South Florida with Illegally Voting in 2024 United States Presidential ElectionRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Two Ukrainian women with no United States citizenship have been charged with unlawfully voting in the General Election for United States President during early voting in Palm Beach, Fla., on Oct. 31, 2024.
Svitlana Demydenko (Svitlana), 53, and her daughter, Yelyzaveta Demydenko (Yelyzaveta), 22, made their initial appearances in West Palm Beach federal court today.
According to the criminal complaint affidavit, Svitlana and Yelyzaveta entered the United States in April 2021 on nonimmigrant visas. In August 2024, while living in Florida, Svitlana and Yelyzaveta registered to vote in federal elections using a system that requires certification of United States citizenship, which neither of them had.
On Oct. 31, 2024, and still without United States citizenship, Svitlana and Yelyzaveta voted from Palm Beach in the federal 2024 General Election, which included election of a United States President.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Acting Special Agent in Charge Jose R. Figueroa of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Division; and Commissioner Mark Glass of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) made the announcement.
HSI Miami Field Division and FDLE Office of Executive Investigations, Election Crime Unit investigated this case, with assistance from the Florida Department of State, Office of Election Crimes and Security; the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections; the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service; and the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Assistant U.S. Attorney John McMillan is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 25-mj-8216.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Task Force to Preserve and Protect the Integrity of ElectionsRead the Press Release
Newark, N.J. - U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba today announced the creation of a federal task force to preserve and protect the integrity of elections conducted in the District of New Jersey.
The task force, which has been named the Election Integrity Task Force, will consist of a team of federal prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, who will work in conjunction with law enforcement officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and other federal agencies to implement the directives set forth in the President’s March 25, 2025 Executive Order concerning elections. The Election Integrity Task Force’s objectives will include:
- Facilitating information sharing between federal, State, and local officials to enhance the ability of election officials to efficiently and effectively remove individuals who are not eligible to vote from State voter lists.
- Prioritizing the investigation and prosecution of election crimes, including but not limited to, federal statutes that prohibit voter registration fraud, casting of fraudulent ballots, voting by non-citizens, individuals voting multiple times in same election, and foreign interference caused by foreign nationals contributing or donating funds to United States elections.
- Taking appropriate steps to ensure compliance with the voter list maintenance requirements of the National Voter Registration Act and the Help America Vote Act.
U.S. Attorney Habba emphasized that we and our federal partners are committed to ensuring the integrity of elections here in the District of New Jersey and making sure that the administration of all elections is in compliance with federal law. The Election Integrity Task Force will take all appropriate steps to achieve that integrity and will vigorously pursue anyone who violates or attempts to violate federal laws designed to safeguard elections.
Complaints about elections related crimes and the integrity of elections can be made to the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Hotline at (888) 636-6596, or by submitting an online complaint at https://tips.fbi.gov/home.
U.S. Attorney Ed Martin Jr. Highlights Successful Local Prosecutions During First 100 DaysRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. marked his first 100 days in the office by highlighting a 25 percent drop, year-to-date, in violent crime across the District.
“This office is working diligently and collaboratively to achieve a lower rate in violent crime and in crime, across the board, for the residents and visitors to our nation’s capital,” said Martin.
Martin is a member of the President Trump’s “Make DC Safe and Beautiful” Task Force.
According to data provided by the Metropolitan Police Department, robberies have declined by 30 percent and homicides have decreased, year-to-date in 2025.
“I am proud of the tireless work that the people in this office do, day in and day out, to serve this community and their country,” Martin said.
The Office has brought charges in D.C. Superior Court against individuals who committed violent crimes against law enforcement officers, near neighborhood schools, and other violent acts. Recent cases include:
- Fifth Defendant Charged in March 11 Assault on Metropolitan Police Department Officers
- Charges Filed in Assault on Metro Transit Police Officer
- Armed Robber Who Also Assaulted a Correctional Officer Gets 104 Month Prison Term
- Two Teens Indicted on Charges of Assault with Intent to Kill and Other Charges After Opening Fire Near High School
- D.C. Man Admits to 2023 Killing at a Navy Yard Metro Station
- Sexual Assaulted Aboard Metro Train Yields Prison Term
- 35-Year Sentence for Man Convicted of 2023 Stranger Rape and Kidnapping That Followed Robbery Attempt
For more information on the cases being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, go to: www.justice.gov/usao-dc, or follow us on social media: Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
U.S. Attorney Announces $202 Million Settlement with Gilead Sciences for Using Speaker Programs to Pay Kickbacks to Doctors to Induce Them to Prescribe Gilead’s DrugsRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Naomi Gruchacz, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”); Christopher M. Silvestro, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Field Office of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (“DCIS”), the law enforcement arm of the Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General (“DOD-OIG”); and Christopher G. Raia, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today that the U.S. has settled a civil fraud lawsuit against GILEAD SCIENCES, INC (“GILEAD”), a large pharmaceutical manufacturer, that, among other things, develops, manufactures, and sells drugs for the treatment of infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS. The settlement resolves claims that GILEAD offered and paid kickbacks in the form of honoraria payments, meals, and travel expenses to healthcare practitioners who spoke at or attended Gilead speaker events to induce them to prescribe Stribild®, Genvoya®, Complera®, Odefsey®, Descovy®, and Biktarvy® (the “Gilead HIV Drugs”) in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute (“AKS”) and thereby caused false claims for the Gilead HIV Drugs to be submitted to and paid by federal healthcare programs in violation of the False Claims Act.
Under the settlement, which was approved yesterday by U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer, GILEAD agreed to pay a total sum of $202 million, of which $176,927,889.28 will be paid to the U.S. and the remainder will be paid to various states. As part of the settlement, GILEAD also made extensive factual admissions regarding its conduct.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said: “For years, Gilead unlawfully sought to increase sales of its HIV drugs, by using its speaker programs to funnel kickbacks to doctors. As alleged, Gilead spent tens of millions of dollars on these programs, including over $20 million in speaking fees and millions more in exorbitant meals, alcohol and travel, all in an effort to induce doctors to prescribe Gilead’s HIV drugs and drive up sales. With this settlement, Gilead has taken responsibility for its conduct and agreed to pay a significant financial penalty. The message is clear, companies that illegally drain taxpayer dollars from federal healthcare programs will be held accountable.”
HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz said: “This impactful settlement is the result of collaborative work by law enforcement partners, revealing Gilead’s unlawful practice of providing kickbacks to physicians under the guise of its HIV educational speaker programs. Violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute, which in this case involved expensive HIV medications, can inappropriately influence physicians’ decision-making and divert the monies of taxpayer-funded federal healthcare programs.”
DCIS Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher M. Silvestro: “This settlement is the result of the partnership among law enforcement and the Department of Justice to aggressively investigate and hold accountable companies and their employees who value greed over healthcare. Protecting TRICARE, the healthcare system for Service members and their families, and investigating kickback schemes are priorities for DCIS.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia said: “This settlement ensures Gilead is held accountable for their illicit use of perks and kickbacks to entice doctors to prescribe the company’s medicine. These types of schemes are not victimless - illegal kickbacks directly affect taxpayer funded healthcare programs. The FBI will continue to investigate and stop healthcare companies attempting to benefit from deceitful and illegal practices.”
As alleged in the Complaint filed in Manhattan federal court:
The Gilead HIV Drugs are antiretroviral drugs (i.e., drugs that act against retroviruses such as HIV) used for the treatment of HIV. These drugs are very expensive—Medicare typically paid well in excess of a thousand dollars for a one-month supply of Complera®, and significantly more for many of the other Gilead HIV Drugs.
As part of its marketing efforts and to increase sales, Gilead conducted events known as “HIV Speaker Programs” at which a healthcare provider involved in the treatment of HIV was engaged to present a slide deck (prepared by Gilead) and facilitate discussion about one of the drugs or a topic concerning HIV (an “HIV Disease State Topic”) to other healthcare providers involved in the treatment of HIV (“Attendees”). Gilead’s HIV Speaker Programs were often held in the evening at restaurants (“HIV Dinner Programs”).
From January 2011 to November 2017 (the “Relevant Time Period”), Gilead conducted HIV Speaker Programs in order to promote and increase the sales of the Gilead HIV Drugs. The HIV Speaker Programs were supposed to be educational in nature and the cost of any meals provided was supposed to be modest. But in practice, during the Relevant Time Period, Gilead’s HIV Speaker Programs provided kickbacks to healthcare providers by: holding HIV Dinner Programs at high-end restaurants that were wholly inappropriate for educational events; allowing Attendees to attend HIV Dinner Programs on the exact same topic again and again and, thereby, obtain free lavish meals for events that held minimal educational value for them; and paying for HIV Speakers to travel to speak at desirable destinations—at times at the HIV Speaker’s request. Further, Gilead’s compliance program failed to prevent these improper practices, even though Gilead knew that it had to comply with the AKS and the company’s own data should have put Gilead on notice of many of these abuses.
Many healthcare providers who received these improper kickbacks then prescribed the Gilead HIV Drugs. As a result, federal healthcare programs paid millions of dollars in reimbursements for tainted prescriptions.
As part of the settlement, GILEAD admitted and accepted responsibility for certain conduct alleged by the U.S., including the following:
- Gilead paid many high-volume prescribers of HIV drugs tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in honoraria to prepare and present as HIV Speakers. For instance, one HIV Speaker, who received over $300,000 in total honorarium payments, wrote prescriptions for Gilead HIV Drugs that resulted in over $6 million in Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE payments.
- On many occasions, Gilead covered the travel costs of HIV Speakers who traveled long distances to speak at HIV Speaker Programs at desirable travel destinations, such as Hawaii, Miami, and New Orleans. This was sometimes in response to an HIV Speaker’s request to be booked for an HIV Speaker Program in that city.
- Sales representatives in Gilead’s HIV therapeutic area (“Sales Representatives”) organized HIV Speaker Programs at high-end restaurants across the country. For instance, a significant percentage of the HIV Speaker Programs held in New York City were held at expensive restaurants, such as the James Beard House, Del Posto, Asiate, Palma, Vaucluse, Ilili, and Limani. In particular, Gilead held 157 HIV Speaker Programs at the James Beard House, making it one of Gilead’s most used venues for HIV Speaker Programs. A dinner at the James Beard House typically included approximately six courses with alcoholic beverage pairings.
- Sales Representatives repeatedly invited numerous doctors and other healthcare providers to attend the same HIV program over and over. Many repeatedly attended HIV Speaker Programs covering the exact same topic, often within a short period of time.
- Over 250 prescribers of the Gilead HIV Drugs attended HIV Dinner Programs on the same topic three times or more within a six-month period. And over 80 of them attended five or more HIV Dinner Programs on the same topic within a six-month period.
- Further, many healthcare providers who were paid to be HIV Speakers on a particular topic also attended HIV Dinner Programs on exactly the same topic, often within less than six months after speaking.
- In certain instances, the same group of doctors repeatedly attended the same HIV Speaker Programs together at various restaurants. In many instances, they attended a HIV Dinner Program less than two weeks after speaking on the same topic.
- During the Relevant Time Period, Gilead’s policies and procedures failed to prevent Sales Representatives and Regional Directors in its HIV therapeutic area from improperly providing honoraria payments, meals, and travel expenses to healthcare providers who spoke at or attended HIV Speaker Programs to induce them to prescribe the Gilead HIV Drugs.
In connection with the filing of the lawsuit and settlement, the Government joined a private whistleblower lawsuit that had been filed under seal pursuant to the False Claims Act.
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Mr. Clayton thanked the New York Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for their extensive collaboration in the investigation and resolution of this case, and also praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI, HHS-OIG and DCIS.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Frauds Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob M. Bergman, Allison M. Rovner, Rebecca S. Tinio, and Lucas Issacharoff are in charge of the case.
u.s._v._gilead_stipulation_and_dismissal.pdf u.s._v._gilead_complaint_in_intervention.pdfTwo More Defendants Plead Guilty to Roles in Scheme to Transport Contraband into FCI McDowell with DroneRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Today, Hector Luis Gomez DeJesus, 32, of Sanford, North Carolina, and Raymond Luis Saez Aviles, 37, of Poinciana, Florida, each pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the introduction of contraband into a federal prison.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 9, 2024, correctional officers at Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) McDowell detected a drone flying over the prison facility. The flight path of the drone took it from the fence securing the prison facility to a cell in one of the housing units. Officers searched the cell and found a broken exterior window, numerous cell phones, tobacco, and marijuana within the cell.
Officers traced the flight path back to the drone’s launch site, where they found and apprehended DeJesus, Aviles, and co-defendant Gamalier Rivera. Officers seized the drone, the drone’s remote controller, and contraband consistent with what was found in the cell.
DeJesus and Aviles each admitted that they and Rivera participated in the introduction of the contraband into FCI McDowell by using the drone to transport marijuana, tobacco, and cell phones into the prison facility. DeJesus and Aviles further admitted that they expected to be paid for their participation in the contraband introduction.
DeJesus and Aviles are scheduled to be sentenced on August 11, 2025, and each faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
Rivera, 33, of Poinciana, Florida, pleaded guilty on March 27, 2025, to aiding and abetting the introduction of contraband into a federal prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 7, 2025.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), and the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-127.
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Two California Men Sentenced to Prison Terms for Conspiring to Launder the Proceeds of a Fraud from a Resident of New JerseyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two California men were sentenced to prison terms for conspiring to launder money that originated from internet-related fraud that targeted a law firm based in New Jersey and from fraudulently obtained loans from the U.S. Small Business Association, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Eric Bullard, 62, of Los Angeles, California was sentenced to 37 months in prison, and Anthony Hannah, 61, of Moreno Valley, California, was sentenced to 33 months in prison. Bullard and Hannah each previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo to informations charging them with conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In June 2020, Victim-1 communicated via email with a law firm in New Jersey that was advising Victim-1, a resident of Bergen County, New Jersey, on a real estate transaction. A business email compromise is a method of wire fraud often targeting businesses or individuals working on business transactions involving high-dollar wire transactions. The fraud is carried out by compromising and/or “spoofing” legitimate email accounts through social engineering or computer intrusion techniques to cause employees of a target company, or other individuals involved in legitimate business transactions, to conduct unauthorized transfers of funds, most often to accounts controlled by the fraud perpetrators.
A co-conspirator conducted a business email compromise and sent an email to Victim-1 purporting to be on behalf of the law firm with fraudulent instructions to wire approximately $560,000 to a bank account controlled by Bullard. Relying on the fraudulent instructions, Victim-1 wired approximately $560,000 into a bank account controlled by Bullard. After receiving the funds, Bullard made several cash withdrawals and transferred money to other co-conspirators, including approximately $230,000 of the fraudulently obtained proceeds to an account controlled by Hannah.
In addition to laundering proceeds from the business email compromise, Bullard and Hannah also obtained and laundered funds from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program based on fraudulent loan applications. EIDL loans were intended to be for small businesses that were experiencing substantial financial disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In July 2020, Bullard received into a business bank account that he controlled approximately $143,100 from an SBA EDIL loan intended for a pharmacy company with a listed location in Colorado. Hannah also received approximately $145,400 from the SBA for a loan intended for a pharmacy company with a listed location in Idaho. Hannah then transferred approximately $51,395 to a bank account controlled by Bullard.
In addition to the prison terms, Judge Arleo sentenced Bullard and Hannah each to three years of supervised release and to pay $705,400 in restitution to the victims. Judge Arleo ordered forfeiture of $611,395 for Bullard and $375,400 for Hannah, constituting proceeds derived from the conspiracy.
U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI Woodland Park Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Farhana C. Melo of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Defense counsel: Bullard: Brandon Minde, Esq., Cranford, New Jersey
Hannah: Areeb Salim, Esq. Assistant Federal Public Defender, NewarkTribar Technologies, Inc. Sentenced for Violation of the Clean Water ActRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Tribar Technologies, Inc., a Southeast Michigan manufacturer, was sentenced today to pay a $200,000 criminal fine, pay $20,000 in restitution, serve five years of probation, and implement an environmental management system and compliance plan within the first six months of probation. Tribar pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Water Act when it discharged insufficiently treated wastewater, a misdemeanor, Acting United States Attorney Julie A. Beck announced.
According to court documents, Tribar is a manufacturer of decorative trim assemblies and components serving the automotive and commercial vehicle markets in Southeast Michigan. The Tribar facility where the events in this case occurred – Plant 5 – is a chrome plating facility in Wixom, Michigan, that uses an electroplating process to apply chrome finishing to plastic automotive parts. The summer of 2022, Tribar held an Industrial Pretreatment Program Permit, authorizing discharges of treated wastewater from Plant 5 into the Wixom sanitary sewer system. Tribar’s permit included a notification requirement for batch discharges and prohibited Tribar from bypassing its own treatment system.
On July 23, 2022, Tribar Plant 5 accumulated approximately 15,000 gallons of untreated wastewater with high concentrations of hexavalent chromium. Tribar employees attempted to treat this wastewater, but by July 29, 2022, it still contained high levels of hexavalent chromium that required treatment before it could be released into Tribar’s wastewater treatment system. On the evening of July 29, 2022, a Tribar employee discharged a batch of approximately 10,000 gallons of insufficiently treated wastewater from a holding tank into Plant 5’s wastewater treatment system. The discharge activated approximately 460 alarm bells all of which were disabled, allowing the wastewater to be discharged into the Wixom sanitary sewer system. Tribar did not report this illegal discharge until August 1, 2022.
“Tribar’s failure to adequately train and supervise its employees jeopardized the safety and quality of local water resources. This sentence recognizes the importance of strict adherence to regulatory standards and best practices intended to protect human health and the environment. Together with our partners we will continue to protect environmental resources in the Eastern District of Michigan,” said Acting United States Attorney Julie A. Beck.
“Tribar illegally discharged industrial wastewater, posing a risk to downstream waterways,” said Special Agent in Charge Allison Landsman of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division. “The successful and cooperative effort by EPA, federal and state partners resulted in today’s sentencing, holding Tribar responsible for violating federal environmental law.”
The investigation of this case was conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division, the Department of Justice Environmental Crimes Section, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service.
Tonawanda man going to prison for 25 years for production of child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Michael E. Swain, 37, of Tonawanda, NY, who was convicted of production of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 25 years in prison and lifetime supervised release by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who handled the case, stated that between October 20 and November 1, 2021, Swain coerced five minor victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions. Specifically, Swain communicated with a 15-year-old minor female who resided in Colorado using Discord, a social media platform. The communications included sexually graphic conversations, during which Swain requested that the minor female take sexually explicit videos and images and send them to him. In addition, Swain engaged in numerous sexual communications with the minor female from approximately 2019 to 2022, during which other sexually explicit images and videos were sent from to Swain. On February 28, 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant at Swain’s residence and seized a desktop computer tower, a laptop computer, and an external hard drive, all of which were found to contain child pornography.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Stauffiger, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Buffalo Office Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Amie Feroleto.
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Three Charged in Conspiracy to Steal and Sell Catalytic ConvertersRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – Three Rhode Island men have been charged in federal court in Providence for their alleged roles in a conspiracy to steal and sell hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of catalytic converters, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Kuron Mitchell, 25, of Newport, Alberto Rivera, 25, of Cranston, and Luis Aceituno, 27, of Providence, are each charged by way of a federal criminal complaint with interstate transportation of stolen property in excess of $5,000 and conspiracy to commit the same. Additionally, Aceituno is charged with filing false tax returns.
According to charging documents, in January 2022, the Cranston Police Department began tracking patterns surrounding the thefts of catalytic converters. A criminal group was later identified as allegedly being responsible for more than 7,000 stolen catalytic converters in Southern New England and in the greater Boston area, valued at more than $2.4 million. It is alleged that many of the stolen catalytic converters were sold to a Providence company (identified in court documents as Company 1) that recycles catalytic converters. Depending on the model and type of precious metal component, the average scrap price for catalytic converters ranged from $300 to $1,500.
Charging documents reflect that from at least January 2021 until November 2022, Rivera, Aceituno, Mitchell, and others canvassed neighborhoods and parking lots in search of unoccupied vehicles from which they could steal catalytic converters. Working in groups, they allegedly targeted vehicles in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, cut off the catalytic converters, and sold many of them to Company 1.
An FBI analysis of Company 1’s databases seized during a court-authorized search of the business in February 2023, and a review of a database maintained by Rhode Island Attorney General Bureau of Criminal Identification, revealed that from 2021 to 2022, Rivera allegedly sold 19 catalytic converters and received $7,100; and Aceituno allegedly sold 2128 catalytic converters to Company 1 and received $699,735.
In addition to his alleged participation in the conspiracy to steal and sell catalytic converters, it is further alleged that Luis Aceituno failed to disclose to the IRS income derived from the sale of catalytic converters in tax years 2021 and 2022. It is alleged that for tax years 2021 and 2022, Aceituno failed to report a total of $699,735 in income and failed to pay a total of $199,908 due to the IRS.
Luis Aceituno appeared in U.S. District Court on Monday and was released on unsecured bond; Kuron Mitchell appeared in U.S. District on April 25, 2024, and was ordered released to home detention with GPS monitoring; Alberto Rivera is currently detained on charges unrelated to this matter.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul F. Daly, Jr., and Julie M. White.
The matter was investigated by the FBI, Cranston Police Department, Providence Police Department, IRS-Criminal Investigations, United States Marshal Service, National Insurance Crime Bureau, Newport Police Department, Fitchburg State University Police, Watertown Police Department, Canton Police Department, Attleboro Police Department, Fall River Police Department, and Department of Veterans Affairs- Office of Inspector General-Criminal Investigations Division.
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criminal_complaint_affidavit.pdfStatement of U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton on the Verdict in U.S. V. Omnicare and CVS Health CorporationRead the Press Release
False claims in the healthcare industry cost every American. Today, a unanimous jury found Omnicare, the country’s largest long-term care pharmacy, liable for fraudulently dispensing drugs without valid prescriptions to elderly and disabled people in assisted living facilities and other residential long-term care facilities. After a four-week trial, the jury found that Omnicare billed Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE for over three million false claims resulting in $135,592,814 in damages. Under the federal False Claims Act, the Government is entitled to three times the amount of these assessed damages, or $406,778,442, plus statutory penalties to be determined by the Court. This is one of the largest damages verdicts rendered by a jury in a False Claims Act case. The jury also found CVS Health Corporation, Omnicare’s parent, liable for causing Omnicare to submit false claims. I thank the women and men of our Civil Division for continuing to pursue those who seek to exploit the healthcare system. I also thank the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense for their support and assistance throughout this case.
Source of Supply for Merced County Methamphetamine Distribution Sentenced to 22.5 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Raul Zamudio Hurtado, 42, of Oakdale, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to 22 and a half years in prison and for two counts of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine arising from two separate cases, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, in May 2017, a coalition of federal, state, and local agencies investigated a group of Sureño gang members and associates in the Merced area for crimes of violence, drug sales, and illegal firearms possession. More than 50 individuals were arrested and 14 defendants were charged federally. Hurtado was the source of supply of methamphetamine to the suspected Sureño members and was indicted. On July 24, 2019, Hurtado pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and remained in custody pending sentencing in the first case. In April 2020, he was released with conditions.
Between December 2021 and November 2022, Hurtado obtained and distributed methamphetamine in large quantities and received tens of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds. On Nov. 16, 2022, a search warrant was executed, more than 73 pounds of methamphetamine was seized, and Hurtado was charged again. On June 3, 2024, Hurtado pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in this second case.
These cases were the product of investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Merced Area Gang and Narcotic Enforcement Team (MAGNET), the California Department of Justice/California Highway Patrol, Special Operations Unit, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the Modesto Police Department Major Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ross Pearson and Kimberly Sanchez prosecuted the cases.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information, visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Solano County Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Second Conviction of Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Jeremiah Malik Jefferson, 27, of Benicia, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez to seven years in prison for his second federal felon-in-possession of a firearm case, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
According to court documents, On Oct. 1, 2023, while on supervised release following a 2021 conviction in a prior federal gun case, Jefferson brandished a firearm during an argument with a female victim. Jefferson had been released from prison only 10 months prior. During a search of Jefferson’s residence on Nov. 1, 2023, law enforcement officers recovered a firearm that was loaded with a high-capacity magazine and had previously been reported stolen. Jefferson is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to multiple prior felony convictions, including for burglary and a previous federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Jefferson was also sentenced to two years in prison (the applicable statutory maximum) for violating his terms of supervised release to be served concurrently with the 7-year sentence.
This case was the product of an investigation by the U.S. Probation Office, the Benicia Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
San Jose Engineer Pleads Guilty to Bombings of PG&E Transformers, Causing Property Damage and Widespread Power OutagesRead the Press Release
Peter Karasev, 38, a U.S. citizen residing in San Jose, pleaded guilty in the Northern District of California today to federal charges related to two separate bombings of PG&E electrical transformers in late 2022 and early 2023.
Karasev was indicted on Oct. 19, 2023, and pleaded guilty today to two counts of willful destruction of an energy facility. According to the plea agreement, Karasev admitted that on Dec. 8, 2022, and Jan. 5, 2023, he willfully damaged energy facilities involved in the production, storage, transmission, and distribution of electricity. In both attacks, Karasev used homemade explosive devices to cause significant destruction and widespread power outages in the San Jose area.
“Attacks on America’s critical infrastructure are attacks targeting the heart of our nation’s security. They will be treated like the grave threat they are to our country,” said Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “With today’s guilty plea, the defendant admitted to putting thousands of lives and businesses at risk and endangering essential services for countless more. The Justice Department will not rest until we disrupt and hold accountable those participating in these dangerous attacks.”
“The defendant admitted to using homemade explosives to intentionally damage two electrical transformers and cause significant disruptions to more than 1,500 residences and businesses in San Jose. The search of his home following his arrest uncovered a staggering trove of explosive devices and hazardous chemicals. There can be no mistake as to the extent of destruction that could have resulted,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Robbins for the Northern District of California. “We applaud the swift work of law enforcement officers to investigate these threats to critical infrastructure, bring the defendant to justice, and prevent further harm to the residents of San Jose.”
“With today’s guilty plea, Karasev admits to using explosives to attack two electrical facilities which resulted in power outages to numerous homes and businesses in the San Jose area,” said Assistant Director David J. Scott of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “Americans rely on essential infrastructure as they go about their daily lives. The FBI works with our partners to protect that infrastructure, and we will hold accountable anyone who seeks to damage it.”
The first attack, which occurred near the Westfield Oakridge Mall, resulted in the destruction of a PG&E transformer and left more than 1,450 customers without power for nearly 16 hours. The second attack, carried out near Plaza Del Rey shopping center, caused further destruction, damaging a transformer and adjacent building, and interrupted power to dozens more residents and businesses.
In connection with his plea, Karasev admitted that the attacks were premeditated and deliberate. He conducted extensive internet searches regarding explosive materials, infrastructure attacks, and geopolitical conflicts. Upon his arrest on March 1, 2023, law enforcement agents discovered multiple homemade explosive devices, over 300 pounds of explosive precursor materials, hazardous chemicals, firearms, and remote detonation devices in his home, vehicle, and office.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Karasev faces a stipulated sentence of between 102 and 126 months (approximately 8.5 to 10.5 years) in federal prison. He also agreed to pay restitution of no less than $104,076.26 for the damages caused. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 19.
The FBI and the San Jose Police Department are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne C. Hsieh for the Northern District of California and Trial Attorney Jacob Warren of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
San Jose Engineer Pleads Guilty to Bombings of PG&E Transformers, Causing Property Damage and Widespread Power OutagesRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Peter Karasev, 38, of San Jose, pleaded guilty today to federal charges related to two separate bombings of PG&E electrical transformers in late 2022 and early 2023.
Karasev was indicted on Oct. 19, 2023, and pleaded guilty today to two counts of willful destruction of an energy facility. According to the plea agreement, Karasev admitted that on Dec. 8, 2022, and Jan. 5, 2023, he willfully damaged energy facilities involved in the production, storage, transmission, and distribution of electricity. In both attacks, Karasev used homemade explosive devices to cause significant destruction and widespread power outages in the San Jose area.
“The defendant admitted to using homemade explosives to intentionally damage two electrical transformers and cause significant disruptions to more than 1,500 residences and businesses in San Jose. The search of his home following his arrest uncovered a staggering trove of explosive devices and hazardous chemicals. There can be no mistake as to the extent of destruction that could have resulted,” said Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins. “We applaud the swift work of law enforcement officers to investigate these threats to critical infrastructure, bring the defendant to justice, and prevent further harm to the residents of San Jose.”
“Attacks on America’s critical infrastructure are attacks targeting the heart of our nation’s security. They will be treated like the grave threat they are to our country,” said Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “With today’s guilty plea, the defendant admitted to putting thousands of lives and businesses at risk and endangering essential services for countless more. The Justice Department will not rest until we disrupt and hold accountable those participating in these dangerous attacks.”
“With today’s guilty plea, Karasev admits to using explosives to attack two electrical facilities which resulted in power outages to numerous homes and businesses in the San Jose area,” said Assistant Director David J. Scott of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “Americans rely on essential infrastructure as they go about their daily lives. The FBI works with our partners to protect that infrastructure, and we will hold accountable anyone who seeks to damage it.”
“Peter Karasev’s deliberate attacks on essential power systems were calculated acts of domestic sabotage that disrupted vital services and threatened public safety,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani. “Today’s guilty plea is the result of persistent investigative work and strong collaboration with our local and federal partners. We remain committed to identifying and disrupting those who seek to inflict harm on our communities through violence or chaos.”
The first attack, which occurred near the Westfield Oakridge Mall, resulted in the destruction of a PG&E transformer and left more than 1,450 customers without power for nearly 16 hours. The second attack, carried out near Plaza Del Rey shopping center, caused further destruction, damaging a transformer and adjacent building, and interrupted power to dozens more residents and businesses.
In connection with his plea, Karasev admitted that the attacks were premeditated and deliberate. He conducted extensive internet searches regarding explosive materials, infrastructure attacks, and geopolitical conflicts. Upon his arrest on March 1, 2023, law enforcement agents discovered multiple homemade explosive devices, over 300 pounds of explosive precursor materials, hazardous chemicals, firearms, and remote detonation devices in his home, vehicle, and office.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Karasev faces a stipulated sentence of between 102 and 126 months (approximately 8.5 to 10.5 years) in federal prison. He also agreed to pay restitution of no less than $104,076.26 for the damages caused. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 19.
The FBI and the San Jose Police Department are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne C. Hsieh, with the assistance of Sara Slattery, and Trial Attorney Jacob Warren of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
Rhode Island Man Pleads Guilty to Cockfighting ChargesRead the Press Release
Onill Vazquez Lozada of Providence, Rhode Island, pleaded guilty today to two counts of possessing, sponsoring, and exhibiting birds in an animal fighting venture in violation of the Animal Welfare Act.
As part of his plea, Lozada admitted that on April 27, 2021, he possessed roosters for the purpose of having them fight. Lozada also admitted that on March 6, 2022, he sponsored and exhibited, and aided and abetted sponsoring and exhibiting, at least one rooster in a fight against another rooster.
Cockfighting is a contest in which a person attaches a knife, gaff or other sharp instrument to the leg of a “gamecock” or rooster and then places the bird a few inches away from a similarly armed rooster. This results in a fight during which the roosters flap their wings and jump while stabbing each other with the weapons that are fastened to their legs. A cockfight ends when one rooster is dead or refuses to continue to fight. Commonly, one or both roosters die after a fight.
Lozada faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each charge to which he pleaded guilty. Sentencing is scheduled for July 29. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) and Acting U.S. Attorney Sara M. Bloom for the District of Rhode Island made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General, the Postal Inspection Service, and the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Rhode Island State Police, Massachusetts State Police, Animal Rescue League of Boston’s Law Enforcement Division, Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and Providence, Woonsocket, and Attleboro Police Departments.
Senior Trial Attorney Gary Donner and Assistant Chief Stephen Da Ponte of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney John McAdams for the District of Rhode Island are prosecuting the case.
Rhode Island Man Pleads Guilty to Cockfighting ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – Onill Vazquez Lozada of Providence, Rhode Island, pleaded guilty today to two counts of possessing, sponsoring, and exhibiting birds in an animal fighting venture in violation of the Animal Welfare Act.
As part of his plea, Lozada admitted that on April 27, 2021, he possessed roosters for the purpose of having them fight. Lozada also admitted that on March 6, 2022, he sponsored and exhibited, and aided and abetted sponsoring and exhibiting, at least one rooster in a fight against another rooster.
Cockfighting is a contest in which a person attaches a knife, gaff or other sharp instrument to the leg of a “gamecock” or rooster and then places the bird a few inches away from a similarly armed rooster. This results in a fight during which the roosters flap their wings and jump while stabbing each other with the weapons that are fastened to their legs. A cockfight ends when one rooster is dead or refuses to continue to fight. Commonly, one or both roosters die after a fight.
Lozada faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each charge to which he pleaded guilty. U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose for the District of Rhode Island accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Lozada after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) and Acting U.S. Attorney Sara M. Bloom for the District of Rhode Island made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General, the Postal Inspection Service, and the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Rhode Island State Police, Massachusetts State Police, Animal Rescue League of Boston’s Law Enforcement Division, Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal,s and Providence, Woonsocket, and Attleboro Police Departments.
Senior Trial Attorney Gary Donner and Assistant Chief Stephen Da Ponte of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney John McAdams for the District of Rhode Island are prosecuting the case.
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Porcupine Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for the Shooting Death of Pregnant GirlfriendRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Porcupine, South Dakota, man convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter, the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, and Possession of an Unregistered Firearm. The sentencing took place on April 25, 2025.
McKenzie Big Crow, age 20, was sentenced to a total of 12 years in federal prison for Involuntary Manslaughter, the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, and Possession of an Unregistered Firearm, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Big Crow was also ordered to pay $300 in special assessments to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
A federal grand jury indicted Big Crow in June 2024. In January 2025, he was found guilty following a federal jury trial.
On August 20, 2023, near Porcupine, Big Crow was illegally in possession of a Savage Arms Model 62, semiautomatic rifle. The barrel had been sawed off, and the defendant had taped components of an Airsoft rifle to the gun to make it appear like an AK-47. Big Crow claimed he put the rifle in a backpack and that the gun discharged when he bumped the bag against a door. The gunshot struck 19-year-old Ashton Provost in the chest, killing her and her unborn child within minutes. The gun was later found hidden under Big Crow’s bed. On the day of the shooting, Big Crow had drugs in his system including marijuana, cocaine, MDMA (commonly known as ecstasy) and methamphetamine.
“We commend the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of South Dakota for its decision to pursue charges under the Unborn Victims of Violence Act — recognizing the value of every life lost as a result of this crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of the FBI Minneapolis. “This case highlights our shared commitment to justice for the most vulnerable and to holding violent offenders accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.
Big Crow was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
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Pittsburgh Man Sentenced for Escape from Residential Reentry CenterRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty and was sentenced in federal court to three months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on his conviction for escape from custody, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence on Ryan Gainer, 44.
According to information presented to the Court, on October 17, 2024, following a 48-hour home pass, Gainer knowingly and without authorization failed to return to the residential reentry center where he was serving a federal sentence.
Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the United States Marshals Service for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Gainer.
Philadelphia Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding the Government of More Than $1 Million in SNAP, Medicaid BenefitsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that James Sessoms, 60, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Court Judge Chad F. Kenney on one count of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) fraud, seven counts of false statements in connection with health care benefits, and seven counts of Social Security fraud.
Sessoms was charged by indictment with those offenses in October of 2024, arising from his scheme to use stolen identities and Social Security numbers (SSNs) to file for government benefits, including SNAP and Medicaid, with a total loss to the government of $1,063,633. As part of the scheme, the defendant would sell the fraudulently acquired SNAP cards for profit at a local supermarket.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, from in or about November 2019 through in or about November 2023, Sessoms defrauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) of SNAP benefits, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (PA DHS) of Medicaid benefits, by submitting false and fraudulent benefit applications, including false and fraudulent identification documents in connection with his applications.
As part of the scheme, Sessoms obtained or created the names, SSNs, and personally identifiable information for several fictitious persons, and obtained the names and personally identifiable information of other persons, including valid SSNs, which he placed on the applications for SNAP and Medical benefits, which were submitted to PA DHS under penalty of perjury. To obtain these benefits, Sessoms also submitted false and fraudulent driver’s licenses bearing his photograph under those fictitious and other persons’ names.
On some of the online applications, the defendant added purported family members, such as a spouse and children, which caused for more funds to be awarded for SNAP benefits, but also caused additional Medicaid costs, including additional costs for all of the added family members. To obtain these benefits with family members on the applications, Sessoms submitted fraudulent names and personally identifiable information for a spouse and children, to include fraudulent birth certificates for the children. The Social Security numbers utilized in connection with these identities were valid SSNs, assigned by the Commissioner of Social Security, but assigned to other individuals than the names alleged by the defendant.
From in or about November 2019 to in or about November 2023, PA DHS, with joint federal funding from HHS, provided Medicaid coverage to Sessoms under his numerous aliases, as well as to his purported family members as he indicated on his fraudulent applications.
From in or about November 2019 through in or about November 2023, PA DHS, with federal funding from the USDA, provided SNAP benefits to Sessoms under his numerous aliases, as well as to his purported family members as he indicated on his fraudulent applications.
The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on August 21 and faces a maximum possible term of 90 years’ imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the USDA Office of Inspector General, Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, HHS Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Pennsylvania Office of State Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Megan Curran.
Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to Prison for Bank Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A Pennsylvania man was sentenced to 24 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
Marquise A. Billy, 31, of Long Pond, was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment. Additionally, he was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $107,800.
According to court documents, Billy collaborated with a co-conspirator, Rodney A. Martin, 62, of the Bronx, New York, to carry out a criminal scheme to find banks where they could cash fake checks. On Oct. 12, 2022, the two took a flight from New York to Ohio. After arriving in Columbus, Billy rented a car and the two proceeded to drive throughout the state to cash fraudulent checks at banks they had pre-selected to target. Billy provided Martin with counterfeit United States passport identification cards of 14 individuals to use as ID to cash checks. Martin rotated through the IDs and used a different one at each bank transaction. Using this tactic, Martin was able to fraudulently cash checks at several financial institutions in amounts ranging from $4,500 to $5,500.
During the investigation, authorities discovered that the defendants, had in fact, made multiple trips to Ohio and elsewhere to carry out their conspiracy to commit bank fraud. The two men visited 21 bank locations where Martin cashed fraudulent checks using the fake IDs that Billy provided. In the Northern District of Ohio, the banks targeted were located in Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Portage, Trumbull, and Wayne Counties. In total, Billy and Martin stole $107,800 from several community banks.
On Feb. 6, 2024, U.S. District Court Judge John R. Adams sentenced Martin to 30 months in prison and five years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations, the Social Security Administration-Office of the Inspector General, the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office, and the New York City Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason W. White.
Operation Take Back America Leads to Criminal Charges Against Multiple Defendants for Firearms Offenses and Immigration-Related ViolationsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson announced today that in April the U.S. Attorney’s Office charged 11 defendants with criminal charges related to firearms offenses and immigration-related violations as part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from perpetrators of violent crime.
The defendants facing federal firearms charges are:
Steven Tyler Philbeck, 33, of Lincolnton, N.C., is charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and distribution of methamphetamine. The indictment alleges that Philbeck distributed methamphetamine in Catawba County in February 2025, and illegally possessed a Glock 19 Gen4, 9mm handgun in furtherance of the drug trafficking activities.
Naquan Damerius Blakeney, 24, of Charlotte, is charged with possession of a firearm by a felon. The indictment alleges that Blakeney illegally possessed a Glock Model 23, .40 caliber pistol, and did so knowing he was prohibited from possessing a firearm following a prior criminal conviction.
Justin Lloyd Coleman, 33, of Huntersville, N.C., is charged with two counts of possession of a machinegun and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. The indictment alleges that Coleman illegally possessed one more machineguns, a pistol, and a rifle. Coleman has prior felony convictions, and he is prohibited from possessing firearms.
Kiren Nashawn Heath, 21, of Monroe, N.C., is charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The indictment alleges that Pressley possessed a Walther, model P99, 9mm pistol frame with a Smith & Wesson, model SW99, 9mm pistol slide, and did so knowing he was a convicted felon and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Daquan Devonte Jeter, 33, of Charlotte, was indicted for the unlawful possession of a firearm. Jeter is alleged to have unlawfully possessed what is commonly known as a “sawed-off” shotgun, knowing he had prior felony convictions.
Norris Lashane Myers, 47, of Lenoir, N.C., is charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The indictment alleges that Myers possessed a Taurus PT92AF, 9mm handgun, knowing he was a convicted felon and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Nathaniel Desean Nicholes, 25, of Charlotte, is charged with possession of a firearm by a felon. The indictment alleges that Nicholes, knowing that he had previously been convicted of multiple state felony charges for Breaking and Entering, unlawfully possessed a Glock, model 19, 9mm caliber semi-automatic pistol.
The defendants charged with immigration-related violations are:
Jose Guadalupe Cervantes Nava, 52, of Mexico, is charged with illegal reentry into the United States. Nava was previously deported from the United States four times in two months: on April 13, 2018, on April 20, 2018, on May 3, 2018, and again on May 20, 2018.
Remedios Arroyo Beltran, 51, of Mexico, is charged with illegally reentering into the United States. Beltran was previously deported from the United States three times: on April 22, 2019, on July 7, 2019, and again on July 12, 2019.
Erik Antonio Lopez-Hernandez, 21, of Honduras, is charged with illegally reentering into the United States. Lopez-Hernandez was previously deported from the United States in July 2023. He was arrested on February 22, 2025, by the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, after the defendant allegedly attempted to flee and evade arrest for a traffic violation.
Darwin Gonzalez Navarijo, 40, of Guatemala, is charged with illegal reentry into the United States. Navarijo was previously deported from the United States three times: in June 2009, in November 2010, and again in June 2017.
The charges in the indictments are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson credited Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Emergency Removal Operations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for their investigations that led to the charges. U.S. Attorney Ferguson also commended the local law enforcement agencies that assisted in the investigation and apprehension of the defendants, to include the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office, the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, the Union County Sheriff’s Office, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, the Hickory Police Department, and the Huntersville Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys with the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the cases.
One Federal Inmate and 2 Georgia Residents Sentenced for Conspiring to Smuggle Meth into S.C. Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
FLORENCE, S.C. — Jerrell Antonio Roberts, 36, a current federal inmate, Antoinette Tyeisha Ricks, 36, and Tyree O’Bryant Russell, 23, both of Savannah, Georgia, were sentenced to multi-year terms in federal prison after pleading guilty in connection with a scheme to smuggle methamphetamine into federal prison. Russell was sentenced to two years and Ricks was sentenced to more than three years after each pleaded guilty to attempting to provide methamphetamine to a federal prisoner. Roberts was sentenced to more than nine years after pleading guilty to attempting to possess methamphetamine as a federal prisoner.
Evidence presented to the court showed that in November of 2022, Roberts was incarcerated at a federal prison in South Carolina in connection with federal charges out of Georgia. In the early morning hours of Nov. 6, 2022, an unmanned drone crashed in the yard at the prison facility. The drone was equipped with a skyhook, which would enable it to carry something. Near where the drone crashed, law enforcement recovered a package wrapped in electronics chargers. The package contained approximately 38 grams of pure methamphetamine. Additional investigation revealed that Roberts was working with Ricks and Russell to obtain methamphetamine for distribution in the federal prison.
“Crime doesn’t stop when defendants enter the prison gates,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan P. Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “Contraband smuggling schemes like this are not only illegal but dangerous, and the sentences handed down today reflect the seriousness of these crimes.”
United States District Judge Joseph Dawson, III sentenced Russell to 24 months imprisonment. Judge Dawson sentenced Ricks to 39 months of imprisonment. Judge Dawson sentenced Roberts to 110 months of imprisonment; Roberts’s 110-month term of imprisonment will run consecutive to the term of imprisonment he was serving on the federal charges out of Georgia at the time he engaged in the attempt to smuggle methamphetamine into the federal prison in South Carolina. All three defendants’ sentences will be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Flynn is prosecuting the case.
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Olean woman arrested, charged with multiple drug and gun charges for her role in Olean drug ringRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Janine McKenney, 42, of Olean, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, and a maximum of life, and being a felon in possession of a firearm, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey E. Intravatola, who is handling the case, stated that on February 17, 2025, Erie County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a report of a female slumped over in a vehicle at a gas station in Springville, NY. When deputies arrived, the female had departed the gas station. A short time later, they located the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. During the traffic stop, the driver, later identified as McKenney, provided a false name to deputies. She was detained after a deputy observed a glass pipe designed for smoking crack cocaine in the. While exiting the vehicle, McKenney appeared to be attempting to conceal a suspected crack cocaine rock, which came to rest on the driver’s seat of the vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, deputies discovered a quantity of narcotics, including methamphetamine. The following day, on February 18, 2025, deputies conducted an intake search of McKenney at the Erie County Sheriff’s Office Holding Center and discovered three bags of suspected narcotics on McKenney’s person. A subsequent search of McKenney’s cell phone various photographs of ledgers, firearms, and suspected narcotics that appear to be packaged for sale.
Later in the evening on February 18, 2025, investigators executed a search warrant at McKenney’s Olean residence. McKenney utilized her residence while engaging in drug trafficking activities. During the search, quantities of suspected cocaine, morphine pills, and drug paraphernalia were recovered. In addition, three loaded pistols, ammunition and $2519.00 in cash was also recovered. Two of the three pistols were previously reported stolen. In November 2014, McKenney was convicted of a drug felony in New York State Court and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia, the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Eric Butler, the Olean Police Department, under the direction of Chief Ron Richardson, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Amie Feroleto.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Okmulgee Resident Sentenced to over 20 Years for Voluntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Brett Wayne Pigeon, age 45, of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 126 months in prison for one count of Voluntary Manslaughter in Indian Country, and 120 months in prison for one count of Using, Carrying, Brandishing and Discharging a Firearm in Relation to a Crime of Violence. The terms will be served consecutively.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Okmulgee Police Department, and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Police Department.
On January 6, 2025, Pigeon pleaded guilty to the charges. According to investigators, on November 27, 2023, law enforcement responding to reports of shots fired discovered the victim deceased from apparent gunshots to the back, head, and hip. Pigeon was identified as a suspect, and later admitted shooting the victim with a 12-gauge shotgun. The crimes occurred in Okmulgee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Pigeon will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick M. Flanigan and Rachel Geizura represented the United States.
North Providence Man Admits Role in Bank Fraud Conspiracy, ID Theft, and Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – Jamal Mansaray, 35, of North Providence, today pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to bank fraud conspiracy, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and prohibited person in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Mansaray admitted to a federal judge that he and others fraudulently obtained checks issued and mailed by individuals and businesses, including checks that were stolen from the U.S. Mail. Mansaray admitted also that he and others obtained identity information of third parties that was used to alter stolen checks, create checks, and to access bank accounts.
Among the checks stolen and altered were checks issued by four towns in Massachusetts and mailed to a special education contractor. The checks were stolen from a curbside commercial mailbox used by the contractor and were altered to include the personal identification of others. Bank surveillance video recorded in December 2022 shows Mansaray being present at banks in Rhode Island when fraudulent checks were deposited and the subsequent withdrawal of the funds.
A court-authorized search of Mansaray’s residence in May 2023 resulted in the seizure of hundreds of personal and business checks, blank “washed” checks, more than 1,000 blank check stock used to create and print counterfeit checks, multiple laptops and printers, checks in various stages of alteration, Social Security cards, debit cards, and a temporary driver’s license in the name of others.
U.S. Postal Inspection Service Inspectors also located a loaded firearm and ammunition inside a backpack belonging to the defendant. Mr. Mansaray was convicted of a felony offense (bank fraud conspiracy and aggravated ID theft) and sentenced to 60 months’ incarceration in October 2018, thus he was prohibited from being in possession of a firearm.
Mansaray is scheduled to be sentenced on July 16, 2025. The sentence imposed will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christine D. Lowell and John P. McAdams.
The matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Rhode Island State Police.
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New York Man Sentenced for Role in Drug Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jose Rivera, 37, of Queens, New York, was sentenced to 70 months for his role in a drug trafficking organization in Berkeley County.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Rivera was one of the conspirators of the drug trafficking operation selling large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine. Rivera supplied nearly three kilograms of cocaine to another defendant, who then drove it to West Virginia to sell.
Rivera will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The FBI; the U.S. Marshals Service; Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the West Virginia Air National Guard; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative (agencies included are the West Virginia State Police, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department, Jefferson County Sherriff’s Department, Ranson Police Department, Charles Town Police Department, and Martinsburg City Police Department); West Virginia State Police; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; the Hagerstown Police Department; the National Resources Police Department; FBI-New York Safe Streets Task Force; the New York Police Department; the New Jersey State Police; the Washington County (Maryland) Drug Task Force; the Maryland State Police; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland; and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania investigated.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
New Paltz Man Charged with Online Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Max Fishkind, age 24, of New Paltz, New York, was charged today with sexual exploitation of a child. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
According to a complaint filed today, on September 23, 2024, Fishkind used, persuaded, induced, enticed and coerced a child into creating and sending him self-produced child sexual abuse material over Snapchat. The child, who was 15 years old at the time of the crime, reported that Fishkind initially told the child he was 17 years old, but the child later learned that Fishkind was not a minor and stopped communicating with him.
The investigation into Fishkind began after the parents of a minor child residing in the state of Maryland reported to the FBI that their child had engaged in inappropriate sexual messaging with Fishkind, which included self-produced nude images of the minor that had been sent to Fishkind over Snapchat. When the FBI learned that Fishkind had since moved from Houston, Texas, to New Paltz, FBI Albany took over the investigation, which resulted in the charge filed today. The charges against Fishkind are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Fishkind made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart today. He was detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for May 5.
If convicted of the offense, Fishkind faces at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a supervised release term of at least 5 years and up to life. Fishkind may also be ordered to pay restitution to the victim of his offense and forfeit any devices used in the offense. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. Fishkind would also have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
The FBI is investigating this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin S. Clark is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc. Lead with the action and the most basic information – who, what, when and where.
New Haven Man Guilty of Offenses Stemming from Pandemic Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that on April 28, 2025, a federal jury in New Haven found WILLIAM ROSARIO LOPEZ, 39, of New Haven, guilty of offenses related to his commission of several armed robberies of Connecticut gas stations in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the evidence presented during the trial:
On March 18, 2020, Rosario Lopez entered the Shell Gas Station located at 1302 Hartford Turnpike in Vernon. Wearing a black mask, he pointed a small silver pistol at the store employee, grabbed him by the collar, directed him to walk to the cash register, and struck him in the back of the head as they were walking to the cash register. After the employee provided Rosario Lopez with cash from the register, Rosario Lopez ordered the employee to lay on the floor and then fled the store.
On March 22, 2020, at approximately 10 p.m., Rosario Lopez entered the Fleet Gas Station located at 1611 Meriden Waterbury Turnpike in Southington. Wearing a surgical-type mask, he pointed a silver pistol at the store employee and demanded money. The employee provided Rosario Lopez with a small amount of cash and, after explaining that all the money was already in the safe and that he did not know the combination, Rosario Lopez kicked the employee, ordered him to lay on the floor, and then fled the store.
On March 22, 2020, approximately one hour after the Southington robbery, Rosario Lopez entered the Shell Gas Station located at 883 Hamilton Avenue in Waterbury. Wearing a surgical-type mask, he pointed a small silver pistol at the store employee and demanded money. After the employee opened the cash register and provided cash to Rosario Lopez, Rosario Lopez ordered the employee to lay on the floor and then fled the store.
On March 23, 2020, less than two hours after the Waterbury robbery, Rosario Lopez entered the Shell Gas Station located at 696 Main Street in Ansonia. Wearing a surgical-type mask, he pointed a small silver pistol at the store employee, demanded money and threatened to shoot the employee. After the employee was unable to open the cash register quickly, Rosario Lopez fired one round in the direction of employee and then fled. The employee was not struck by the projectile.
On March 26, 2020, Rosario Lopez entered the Citgo Gas Station located at 788 West Main Street in New Britain. Wearing a surgical-type mask, he waited for another customer to leave the store, approached the counter, pointed a small silver pistol at the store employee and demanded money. The employee opened the cash register and Rosario Lopez took cash from the register drawer. Rosario then fled the store.
Solimar Rodriguez Gonzalez acted as a “lookout” in at least two of the robberies, and she is depicted on store video surveillance just prior to the robberies that occurred in Vernon and Waterbury.
Rosario Lopez and Gonzalez were arrested on April 9, 2020. In association with their arrests, investigators searched a vehicle they used during the robberies and recovered a silver .25 caliber semiautomatic pistol and 14 rounds of ammunition.
Rosario Lopez’s criminal history includes convictions in New York for attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon, and convictions in Puerto Rico for importation and unlawful possession of a firearm, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault with a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm, threatening a witness, and aggravated robbery.
On April 28, 2025, the jury found Rosario Lopez guilty of four counts of obstruction of interstate commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act Robbery), one count of attempted obstruction of interstate commerce by robbery, four counts of brandishing a firearm during a robbery, and one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. At sentencing, he faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 28 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
Rosario Lopez has been detained since his arrest. A sentencing date is not scheduled.
On January 21, 2025, Gonzalez pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the obstruction of interstate commerce by robbery. She awaits sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Connecticut State Police, and the Vernon, Southington, Waterbury, Ansonia, New Britain, New Haven, and Guilford Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth L. Gresham, Robert S. Ruff, and Daniel P. Gordon.
New Britain Man Sentenced to 43 Months in Federal Prison for Trafficking Narcotic PillsRead the Press Release
Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ERIK PETERSEN, 44, of New Britain, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 43 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking narcotic pills.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in May 2023, members of the DEA New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad began investigating suspicious packages that were being delivered to the Newington residence of Petersen’s brother, Kyle Petersen. At the time, Kyle Petersen was on federal supervised release following a federal conviction in 2017 involving the trafficking of fentanyl and prescription pills. During the investigation, a court-authorized search of a package mailed to Kyle Petersen contained more than 400 grams of pills containing Protonitazene, a synthetic opioid typically more potent than fentanyl. The investigation revealed that Kyle Petersen had received approximately 34 similar packages mailed from the same source in Michigan, and also received approximately 46 packages from California and Oregon suspected to contain multiple pounds of marijuana. Investigators also made controlled purchases of counterfeit Percocet pills containing fentanyl from Erik Petersen.
Kyle and Erik Petersen were arrested on federal criminal complaints on April 3, 2024. On that date, a search of Kyle Petersen’s residence revealed more than a kilogram of counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine, counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, counterfeit Xanax pills, a large quantity of Protonitazene, approximately 40 grams of cocaine, and $76,650 in cash.
Erik Petersen has been detained since his arrest. On December 19, 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, Bromazolam, and Protonitazene.
Kyle Petersen has pleaded guilty and is detained while awaiting sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the DEA New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the New Britain and Newington Police Departments. The Tactical Diversion Squad is composed of personnel from the DEA, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hamden, West Haven, Fairfield, Seymour, and Glastonbury Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Keefe.
Multiple Defendants Sentenced as Part of Crackdown on Cyber-Enabled Check FraudRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Six defendants who were part of a conspiracy to sell stolen checks and bank login information have been sentenced, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
The defendants were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Madeline H. Haikala and included the administrators of multiple scam Telegram channels, a former U.S. Postal employee who received bribes to steal checks from the mail, and a credit union employee who misappropriated customer account information. Among those sentenced this week were:
Joshua Kendarius Rogers, also known as “Lucky Luciano,” 24, of Irondale, who was an administrator of a Telegram channel called “The Lucky Shop,” which sold stolen checks and bank login information. Rogers was sentenced to 90 months in prison for one count of conspiracy to pay bribes, one count of conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. Rogers pleaded guilty to the charges yesterday.
Michael Christopher Rowser, also known as “Muney Mike,” 24, of McCalla, who abused his position as a U.S. Postal employee by taking bribes to steal checks that were sold on “The Lucky Shop” channel. Rowser was sentenced to 70 months in prison for one count of conspiracy to receive bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud. In January 2025, a federal jury convicted Rowser of these charges.
Duane Wiley Smith, also known as “Dubskii,” 24, of Springville, who was an administrator of “The Lucky Shop” and similar channels called “Glass House Records” and “Glass House Records V2.” Smith was sentenced to 48 months in prison for one count of conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. In October 2024, Smith pleaded guilty to those charges.
Levar McGhee-Parrish, also known as “Ja Moracks,” 25, of Fultondale, who was an administrator of “The Lucky Shop” and a similar channel called “GRUBHUB.” McGhee-Parrish was sentenced to 40 months in prison for one count of conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud. In March 2025, McGhee-Parrish pleaded guilty to the charge.
According to court documents, “The Lucky Shop” operated as a criminal marketplace. Its primary administrator, Rogers, obtained stolen checks from Rowser and then post redacted copies of those checks on the channel to market them for sale. When customers of “The Lucky Shop” paid Rogers to purchase stolen checks, a portion of their profits would be kicked back to Rowser. In addition to stolen checks, Rogers also sold bank login information, which he obtained from a corrupt credit union employee.
Smith and McGhee-Parrish assisted Rogers with the administration of “The Lucky Shop,” but also had their own Telegram channels—for Smith, “Glass House Records” and “Glass House Records V2,” and for McGhee-Parrish, “GRUBHUB”—where they sold stolen checks to scammers looking to commit bank fraud. Beyond that, Smith and McGhee-Parrish worked with Rogers and others to commit bank fraud—depositing fraudulent checks, submitting fraudulent loan applications, initiating fraudulent Automated Clearing House transfers, and using stolen passcodes to withdraw funds from Automated Teller Machines.
This case was brought as part of a crackdown on scam Telegram channels operating out of the Northern District of Alabama. Other defendants who have been prosecuted in related cases include Mekhi Diwone Harris, who ran a Telegram channel called “Work Related,” and Gabriel Samuel Odiot, who ran a Telegram channel called “RICH OFF PLAYS.” Together, these channels are responsible for the sale of tens of millions of dollars in stolen checks.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General investigated the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward J. Canter and Daniel S. McBrayer prosecuted the cases.
Assistance was provided by U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, the Heflin Police Department, and the Hueytown Police Department. Alabama Credit Union also provided significant assistance during the course of the investigation.
For more resources on cybercrime, visit www.ic3.gov.
Mobile Man Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Prison for Attempting to Distribute Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – Michael Edward Terrell, age 46, was sentenced today to 135 months in prison after entering a guilty plea to a count of Attempted Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography. Terrell entered his guilty plea on January 30, 2025.
According to court documents, between August 22, 2017, and September 5, 2017, an FBI Online Convert Employee identified Terrell as a person who was distributing child pornography online. FBI executed a search warrant at his home, seized his electronic devices, and found child pornography on his devices.
On December 3, 2019, an ALEA SBI Special Agent was notified that Terrell was soliciting child pornography on Twitter. ALEA obtained the contents of the Twitter account and confirmed that Terrell, using an explicit username, was engaging in conversations with other Twitter users in which he would request that they send him “hard core” images of child pornography.
At sentencing, Judge Steele imposed the 135-month sentence of incarceration and a 15-year term of supervised release upon his future release. During his term of imprisonment, Terrell will be subject to sex offender treatment, substance abuse testing and treatment, and mental health treatment. Terrell will be required to register as a sex offender and is to have no contact with minors. Terrell was ordered to pay $30,500 in restitution to the victims of his offenses and $5,100 in special assessments.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kacey Chappelear prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc/publications-resources
Miami Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Leading Payment Protection Program Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Lazaro Verdecia Hernandez, 37, of Miami, was sentenced today to 15 years in federal prison for leading a scheme that involved obtaining fraudulent loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and laundering the proceeds.
Verdecia and co-conspirator Heidi Cid submitted over 63 fraudulent PPP loan applications. In the loan paperwork, they made the applicants appear eligible for pandemic relief by falsifying the number of company employees and forging documents. As a result of the fake submissions, lenders disbursed over $14.5 million to bank accounts controlled by individuals who then withdraw the money and gave Verdecia, Cid, and another co-coconspirator, Yadier Rodriguez Arteaga, their cut.
During earlier proceedings, Arteaga and Cid were adjudicated guilty and sentenced to federal prison terms: Arteaga to almost six years and Cid to 26 months.
U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Rafael Barros for the U. S. Secret Service (USSS); Special Agent in Charge Edwin S. Bonano for the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General (FHFA OIG); and Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), Eastern Region, made the announcement.
USSS Miami and FHFA OIG investigated the case with the assistance of the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), Eastern Region. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Haggerty and Eli Rubin prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Klco is handling asset forfeiture.
The following cases were previously charged in relation to the fraud scheme:
U.S. v. Roberto Lopez, Kenia Carrillo, Lester Hedman Safont, Oreste Ruiz Linares, Honolio Navarro Caballero, Barbara Alvarez, Javier Pico, Alfredo Contrera, and Erisbel Gonzalez Gomez, Case No. 22-cr-20368;
U.S. v. Nancy Bahos Serna, Case No. 23-cr-20310;
U.S. v. Jorge Trueba Lopez, Case No. 21-cr-20382;
U.S. v. Nancy Saavedra Torres, Case No. 21-cr-20225;
U.S. v. Giraldo Caraballo, Case No. 21-cr-20264;
U.S. v. Felix Martinez and Yailin Perez, Case No. 21-cr-20276;
U.S. v. Yoliesse Sarmiento Carrion, Case No. 22-cr-20530;
U.S. v. Osiel Rodriguez Furgel, Case No. 21-cr-20251; and
U.S. v. Leonardo Gonzalez Lopez, Case No. 23-cr-20113.
Each of these defendants pled guilty, except for Javier Pico and Erisbel Gonzalez Gomez who are fugitives.
Approximately 22 people were charged and convicted in the conspiracy.
In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
On Sep. 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-20421.
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Mexican national indicted for trafficking cocaine and heroin into the U.S.Read the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 36-year-old resident of Guadalupe, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, has been charged with trafficking more than 12 kilograms of cocaine and nearly five kilograms of heroin and conspiracy to do so, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
A federal grand jury has now returned the four-count indictment against Albing Pablo Rivera-Leal.
In custody since his arrest on a criminal complaint originally filed in the case, he will appear for his arraignment before a U.S. magistrate judge in the near future.
According to the criminal complaint originally filed in the case, authorities stopped Rivera-Leal April 5 for a traffic violation on I-35 north in Laredo. They conducted a search of the vehicle and allegedly found indications of tampering under the rear seats in the vehicle. The charges also allege a K-9 conducted a free air sniff and detected controlled substances in his car.
Upon further inspection, law enforcement allegedly found several packages of cocaine and heroin concealed in a secret compartment inside the cabin of the vehicle. The charges allege the packages contained approximately 12 kilograms of cocaine and 4.5 kilograms of heroin.
If convicted, Rivera-Leal faces up to life in prison and a $5 million fine.
The Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan L. Oliver is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Mexican Resident Sentenced for Illegal Reentry Following Seven Previous Removals from U.S.Read the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Mexico who had been previously removed from the United States seven times between 2013 and 2017 pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of illegal reentry of a removed alien and was sentenced to time served on his conviction, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence on Dario Fortunato-Torres, 38, on April 28, 2025.
According to information presented to the Court, on October 8, 2024, Fortunato-Torres was arrested by the Moon Township Police Department and charged with several traffic violations, which, according to the public docket, have since been withdrawn. Following this encounter, immigration officials determined that Fortunato-Torres was illegally present in the United States and arrested him on November 19, 2024. Fortunato-Torres had been removed from the United States on seven prior occasions between 2013 and 2017. Fortunato-Torres has been in custody since his November arrest and will be returned to immigration custody.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Fortunato-Torres.
Mexican National Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the United States Following a Prior Felony ConvictionRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby sentenced Martin Martinez-Ballinas, 38, a citizen and national of Mexico, to 37 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, for illegally reentering the United States following a felony conviction.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Acting Field Office Director Nikita Baker, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), Baltimore Field Office. Martinez-Ballinas previously pled guilty in January 2025.
According to the court filings, Martinez-Ballinas had been deported from the United States two previous times. In 2017, prior to his first deportation, Martinez-Ballinas was convicted in the state of Maryland of a felony automative offense stemming from a traffic accident that killed an off-duty Marine. Following his sentence in that case, Martinez-Ballinas was deported in 2020.
After his initial deportation, U.S. Border Patrol apprehended Martinez-Ballinas for attempting to cross the southern border into Texas in 2021. He was subsequently convicted of his first illegal reentry offense in the Southern District of Texas and sentenced to 15 months in prison. Following this sentence, in October 2022, Martinez-Ballinas was deported to Mexico a second time. In December 2023, Martinez-Ballinas knowingly and intentionally reentered the U.S. and then was apprehended by ICE in Maryland.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended ICE-ERO for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Department of Justice Trial Attorney Christopher Ting and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Rosenthal who prosecuted the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Mexican Man Sentenced for Fifth Illegal Entry into U.S.Read the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Mexico pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of illegal reentry of a removed alien and was sentenced to 60 days of imprisonment on his conviction, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy imposed the sentence on Juan Antonio Lopez-Mauricio, 34, on April 28, 2025.
According to information presented to the Court, on January 30, 2025, immigration officials encountered Lopez-Mauricio and determined that he was illegally present in the United States. Lopez-Mauricio was previously removed from the United States four times between 2012 and 2015 following convictions in federal courts in the Southern District of Texas and the District of Arizona for illegally entering the United States. Lopez-Mauricio has been in custody since his January arrest and will remain detained pending his deportation from the United States.
Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Lopez-Mauricio.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, combat illegal immigration, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Mercedes man who downloaded child sexual abuse material sentenced to decade in federal prisonRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 41-year-old Mercedes resident has been sentenced for downloading child sexual abuse material (CSAM) using a peer-to-peer program, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Armando Jose Flores Jr. pleaded guilty July 10, 2024, to receipt of child pornography.
U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now sentenced Flores to 121 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard additional information including information detailing how Flores downloaded and stored 90 GB of CSAM across five devices. The material included over 4,500 images/videos which contained bondage, bestiality and infants/toddlers. Flores will also serve five years on supervised release following the completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Flores will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. Restitution will be determined at a later date.
On Jan. 9, 2024, law enforcement identified a computer making videos of CSAM available for download through a peer-to-peer file-sharing program. Several videos were downloaded and found to depict prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The computer’s IP address was registered to an address belonging to Flores in Mercedes.
In February 2024, authorities executed a federal search warrant at his residence and seized four electronic devices. Each contained CSAM downloaded between approximately May 1, 2022, and Oct. 31, 2022.
Flores admitted to using a peer-to-peer file-sharing program on his computer to download and receive material that contained child pornography at his home. He stated he had been accessing child pornography through peer-to-peer networks for multiple years.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
FBI conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexa D. Parcell is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Members of trafficking ring sent to prison for high-caliber weapons purchasesRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – Two men have been ordered to federal prison for firearms trafficking and related charges, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Mexican national Juan Antonio Cantu-Cavazos, 37, pleaded guilty in October 2023 to firearms trafficking and for being an alien in possession of a firearm. Jose Luis Caballero, 30, Alamo, admitted his guilt in September 2024 to firearms trafficking and illegal exportation of firearms.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now handed Cantu-Cavazos and Caballero each a 48-month-term of imprisonment. Caballero was further ordered to serve three years of supervised released following his prison term. Not a U.S. citizen, Cantu-Cavazos is expected to face removal proceedings following his sentence. At the hearing, the court noted the significant number of weapons involved and that serial numbers were being obliterated prior to weapon’s exportation. Judge Crane also emphasized the dangerousness and complexity of the trafficking scheme.
In September 2022, Cantu-Cavazos had purchased 32 firearms, to include 15 AK-47s and three AR-15 variant rifles.
The investigation revealed Cantu-Cavazos was purchasing the firearms as part of a firearms trafficking ring. He was working with Caballero to acquire firearms a Mexican co-conspirator had requested. Cantu-Cavazos was to retrieve the firearms from various purchasers, disassemble and wrap them in cellophane and deliver them to warehouse or truck drivers so they could be trafficked into Mexico. Caballero’s role was to purchase firearms in various states, including Alabama and Texas, and coordinate their exportation.
Cantu-Cavazos and Caballero purchased more than 150 firearms between October 2021 and September 2022, which were ultimately trafficked into Mexico. Most were high-caliber rifles.
Cantu-Cavazos will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Caballero was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender at a later date.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee Fry prosecuted the case under the criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw purchasing of firearms.
McAlester Resident Sentenced to Eleven Years for Maiming in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced Cody Ray McFadden, age 36, of McAlester, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 132 months in prison for one count of Maiming in Indian Country.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On December 16, 2024, McFadden pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on July 16, 2022, McFadden invited a visitor to his residence. Once inside, McFadden beat the victim, forced the victim into a cage, and padlocked the door. During the next 36 hours, McFadden proceeded to assault and torture the victim, threatening to kill the victim with a cross bow and intentionally striking at the victim with an axe. The victim, who sustained a head laceration, burns, bruises, and a broken arm, managed to break free, escape through a window, and run to a neighbor’s home. Law enforcement responding to the neighbor’s emergency call took McFadden into custody after a brief standoff. The crime occurred in Pittsburg County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
“This defendant demonstrated a complete lack of humanity, subjecting the victim to an extended period of violence resulting in unimaginable physical and mental trauma,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners are committed to rooting out violent offenders through aggressive investigations and prosecutions.”
“This is the stuff of nightmares, but unfortunately, it was sickeningly real,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “I commend the bravery of this survivor, the quick work of law enforcement in securing an end to this horrifying ordeal, and the steadfastness of investigators and prosecutors who ensured that McFadden spends the next decade in prison answering for his ruthless crimes.”
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. McFadden will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Satter represented the United States.
Maryland Resident with Prior Domestic Violence Conviction Indicted for Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Christopher Forbes, 30, of Suitland, Maryland, has been indicted on federal firearms charges as part of the "Make D.C. Safe Again" initiative. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Make D.C. Safe Again is a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin that is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
Forbes is charged in an indictment in federal court with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon; one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a person convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence; and one count of unlawful discharge of a firearm.
According to court documents, on April 5, 2025, at approximately 5:42 a.m., officers with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) responded to the 1800 block of A Street SE after receiving multiple 911 calls reporting gunfire. Upon arrival, officers observed a man, later identified as Forbes, matching the suspect description. Officers located Forbes several blocks away on Independence Avenue SE and conducted a protective pat-down.
During the encounter, officers recovered a loaded .40 caliber handgun from his waistband. The weapon was loaded with 2 rounds, including one in the chamber. Shell casings found near the scene matched the firearm’s caliber. Forbes was arrested on the scene.
A review of law enforcement databases revealed that Forbes had a prior felony robbery conviction in Prince George’s County, Maryland, in 2024, and an active extraditable warrant for failure to appear related to that case. He also had a non-extraditable warrant out of Florida stemming from a prior conviction for discharging a firearm in public.
Forbes was prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm or ammunition due to his felony conviction and his prior misdemeanor domestic violence conviction.
This case is being investigated by the ATF Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Man Who Participated in Illegal Marijuana Grow Operation in Los Padres National Forest Sentenced to Five Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Jacinto Correa Cruz, 56, a Mexican national, was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison for his role in a large-scale illegal cannabis cultivation operation in the Los Padres National Forest. U.S. District Judge Eumi K. Lee handed down the sentence.
Correa Cruz pleaded guilty on Dec. 17, 2024, to one count of depredation of federal lands and one count of manufacture of, and possession with intent to manufacture and distribute, marijuana. Correa Cruz admitted to injuring and damaging federal property by willfully participating in an illegal marijuana grow operation on federal public lands and knowingly manufacturing marijuana plants.
According to court documents, Correa Cruz was arrested in July 2022 during a multi-agency search of one of the largest illegal marijuana cultivation operations found on federal land, known as the “Ventana Complex.” The complex is located in the Ventana Wilderness region of the national forest, a federally protected area that is known as a top “biodiversity hotspot” and home to more threatened and endangered species than any other national forest in California.
The investigation into the Ventana Complex emerged after evidence revealed that the 2020 Dolan Fire, which killed one firefighter and 12 condors, was started by a marijuana grower who ignited the fire at an illegal marijuana cultivation site located in the same region of the Los Padres National Forest. The investigation revealed that, between 2021 and 2022, the Ventana Complex comprised of at least seven interconnected illegal marijuana sites.
The cultivation site where Correa Cruz was arrested included two plots that had been cleared of most native vegetation to make way for approximately 10,000 marijuana plants. Law enforcement also discovered a camp area with a tent and 15 sleeping bags, a kitchen area with thousands of pounds of trash and dead animal parts, and significant quantities of hazardous materials and chemicals on site. An environmental damage assessment found that the illegal operation diverted and used approximately 33,780 gallons of water a day in an area that was experiencing severe drought conditions.
Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins, Brandon Robinson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Law Enforcement and Investigations, Pacific Southwest Region, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani made the announcement.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Lee ordered the defendant to pay $35,074 in restitution and sentenced him to three years of supervised release. The defendant was immediately remanded into custody at sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne C. Hsieh is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Sara Slattery. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by USFS and the FBI, with assistance from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
MS-13 leaders sentenced for January 2022 double murder that resulted in nationwide lockdown of federal prison systemRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – The last of seven defendants, all members of the violent transnational criminal organization La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13, were sentenced in Beaumont for a double murder in 2022, announced Eastern District of Texas Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.
Juan Carlos Rivas-Moreiera, also known as “Juan Carlos Moriera” and “Stocky,” 45, a national of El Salvador and a high-ranking member and leader of MS-13, was sentenced to an additional term of life in federal prison on April 25, 2025, for his role in orchestrating and leading the violent plot to murder rival gang members.
On April 29, Hector Ramires, also known as “Cuervo,” 31, a national of Honduras, was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison for his role in the attack.
In April 2022, seven defendants, including Rivas-Moreiera and Ramires, were indicted with charges relating to the planning and execution of a violent attack orchestrated by members of MS-13 against Mexican Mafia and Sureños associates that resulted in two deaths, two attempted murders, and a nationwide lockdown of all inmates in the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) for almost a week.
“This case illustrates the danger posed, both in and out of prison, by MS-13, a foreign terrorist organization,” said Abe McGlothin, Jr., Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas. “MS-13 leaders in El Salvador ordered and plotted these heinous murders from thousands of miles away. MS-13 ‘soldiers’ incarcerated in a Texas prison executed that plan, murdering two rival gang members and stabbing two others. These sentences should serve as a warning for any foreign terrorist organizations that the Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney’s office, along with our law enforcement partners, will use all available resources to disrupt and dismantle their terrorist network. Thanks to the outstanding work of the FBI and BOP investigators, the deservedly stiff sentences handed out in this case will likely ensure that these MS-13 defendants never see life beyond the walls of a federal prison.”
“The vicious brutality of MS-13 has no place in our prisons or our society,” said FBOP Director William K. Marshall III. “This heinous attack, which claimed two lives and endangered countless others, demanded a swift and decisive response. The life sentences handed down send an unmistakable message: we will relentlessly pursue and dismantle those who sow chaos and violence within our facilities. The Bureau of Prisons stands united with our law enforcement partners to ensure justice prevails and our communities are protected from these ruthless predators.”
“In a brutal, calculated act designed to terrorize rival gangs, MS-13 members butchered two men with over 45 stab wounds and left others clinging to life in a Beaumont prison,” said FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams. “This was no ordinary attack— it was one of the most violent prison executions in Texas history that triggered a nationwide lockdown of federal inmates and exposed the arrogance of MS-13 leaders, who believed they were beyond reach. Today’s sentencing shatters that delusion and sends a clear message: the FBI and our law enforcement partners will stop at nothing to guarantee these violent terrorists face the full consequences of their crimes.”
MS-13 is a transnational criminal organization composed primarily of immigrants or descendants of immigrants from El Salvador, but also includes members from other countries such as Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico. Although the gang originated in Los Angeles, California, it quickly spread and is now a national and international criminal organization with an estimated 10,000+ members regularly conducting gang activities in nearly all of the United States, including Texas, California, New York, and in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico. On Feb. 20, the U.S. Department of State designated MS-13 as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT).
The Mexican Mafia controls large portions of the Hispanic prison population in California and Texas and the federal prison system. MS-13 has had a symbiotic relationship with both the Mexican Mafia and the Sureños, which is a close association of Hispanic gangs that pay tribute to the Mexican Mafia while incarcerated in federal and state prisons in the United States. That symbiotic relationship recently began to fall apart as MS-13’s leadership in El Salvador, the Ranfla Nacional, sought to exert more control and independence of its own members while incarcerated in prisons within the United States, including using MS-13 command and control structure to enforce their orders, including orders to commit murders, even while in prison.
According to information presented in court, on January 31, 2022, at the U.S. Penitentiary (USP) in Beaumont, seven MS-13 members converged in a housing unit and attacked multiple Sureños members and one Mexican Mafia associate. Defendant Rivas-Moreiera began the prison attack when he came up behind Guillermo Riojas and stabbed Riojas twice in the chest. Riojas fell immediately, and other MS-13 defendants stabbed and kicked Riojas while he lay motionless on the prison floor. The MS-13 defendants then chased, cornered, beat, and repeatedly stabbed Andrew Pineda, and other Sureños members. The prison attack lasted approximately eight minutes.
Riojas, 54, died as a result of the attack after suffering three stab wounds to the chest, piercing his heart twice and his lung once. He also suffered injuries to his head and stomach during the attack. Pineda, 34, who also died as a result of the attack, was stabbed 20 times on the front of his body and 26 times to the back of his body, for a total of 46 distinct stab wounds. Two other Sureños members received serious injuries during the attack and were transported to an area hospital with numerous stab and puncture wounds.
In addition to Rivas-Moreiera and Ramires, the following defendants have been sentenced for their role in the attack:
Larry Navarete, 44, a national of Nicaragua, was sentenced to an additional 360 months in federal prison;
Jorge Parada, 45, a national of El Salvador, was sentenced to an additional 360 months in federal prison;
Raul Landaverde-Giron, 35, a national of El Salvador, was sentenced to an additional 360 months in federal prison;
Sergio Sibrian, 32, a national of El Salvador, was sentenced to an additional 420 months in federal prison; and
Dimas Alfaro-Granados, 42, a national of El Salvador, was sentenced to an additional 360 months in federal prison.
This prosecution is the result of coordination between the Eastern District of Texas and Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV). JTFV was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded to target Tren de Aragua (TdA) and is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. Those include Eastern and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; Northern District of Ohio; Districts of New Jersey, Utah, Massachusetts, Nevada and Alaska; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Virginia; Southern District of California; and the District of Columbia, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division. Additionally, the FBI; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; and the FBOP National Gang Unit have been essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.
This case is also a part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph R. Batte from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas, and now-co-directors of JTFV, Christopher A. Eason and Jacob Warren. The case was investigated by the FBI and the FBOP.
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Leaders of 764 Arrested and Charged for Operating Global Child Exploitation EnterpriseRead the Press Release
Note: View the criminal complaint.
Leonidas Varagiannis, also known as War, 21, a citizen of the United States residing in Thessaloniki, Greece, and Prasan Nepal, also known as Trippy, 20, of High Point, North Carolina, are charged for their crimes operating an international child exploitation enterprise in connection with a nihilistic violent extremist (NVE) network known as 764. Nepal was arrested on April 22 in North Carolina. Varagiannis was arrested yesterday in Greece.
According to the affidavit unsealed today in the District of Columbia, 764 is a violent online network that seeks to destroy civilized society through the corruption and exploitation of vulnerable populations, which often include minors. The 764 network’s accelerationist goals include social unrest and the downfall of the current world order, including the U.S. Government.
“These defendants are accused of orchestrating one of the most heinous online child exploitation enterprises we have ever encountered — a network built on terror, abuse, and the deliberate targeting of children,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will find those who exploit and abuse children, prosecute them, and dismantle every part of their operation.”
“These defendants allegedly recruited others to exploit children and created a guide for the disgusting online content they wanted,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Let me be very clear about our efforts. The FBI and our partners are determined to protect juveniles from predators, and we will track down and hold accountable those who engage in these criminal activities. We will continue to work closely with our partners at the Department of Justice to bring justice to the victims of such cruel abuse.”
“The allegations in this case are not only disturbing, they are also every parent’s nightmare,” said U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. for the District of Columbia. “The number of victims allegedly exploited by these defendants, and the depths of depravity are staggering. Justice demands that our response be swift in order to ensure public safety, hold the wrongdoers accountable, and bring the victims some sense of closure so they can heal.”
As alleged, the defendants engaged in a coordinated criminal enterprise and led a core subgroup within 764 known as 764 Inferno, operated through encrypted messaging applications. As alleged, they directed, participated in, and otherwise caused the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and the defendants facilitated the grooming, manipulation, and extortion of minors. Varagiannis and Nepal allegedly ordered their victims to commit acts of self-harm and engaged in psychological torment and extreme violence against minors. The affidavit alleges that the group targeted vulnerable children online, coercing them into producing degrading and explicit content under threat and manipulation. This content includes “cut signs” and “blood signs” through which young minors would cut symbols into their bodies.
The defendants and their co-conspirators around the world used the CSAM and other gore and violent material to create digital “Lorebooks,” which NVEs used as digital currency within the 764 network — traded, archived in encrypted “vaults,” and used as a means to recruit new members or maintain status within the network. The affidavit also details how the defendants instructed other members in grooming tactics and set content production expectations for new recruits. In multiple instances, the defendants threatened and caused their victims to engage in self-mutilation, online and in-person sexual acts, harm to animals, sexual exploitation of siblings and others, acts of violence, threats of violence, suicide, and murder.
Also according to the complaint affidavit, the defendants exploited at least eight minor victims across multiple jurisdictions, with some content traced back to children as young as 13 years old. The network’s activities spanned from late 2020 through early 2025, with core leadership roles attributed to both defendants throughout the period.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of life in prison.
The FBI Washington Field Office and the FBI New York Field Office are investigating the case, with assistance from the FBI Charlotte Field Office, the FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit and the FBI Athens (Greece) Legal Attaché Office. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided crucial assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandra Hughes, Karen Ditzler Shinskie, and Jack Korba for the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and James Donnelly of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Iverson for the Middle District of North Carolina and Paralegal Specialists Marissa Mondelli, Kristina Hamil, and Jorge Casillas.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Charges in a criminal complaint are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Leader of the “Route Boys” Gang Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Earlier today in federal court in Central Islip, Jason Liriano, the founder and leader of the Route Boys gang, was sentenced by United States District Judge Gary R. Brown to 22 years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and use of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking activity. Liriano pleaded guilty to the charges in September 2023. Liriano is the last of 10 defendants affiliated with the Route Boys gang to be sentenced in connection with charges in a third superseding indictment involving drug distribution, use of firearms, pharmacy burglaries, and ATM thefts. The Route Boys burglarized pharmacies and convenience stores in Nassau, Suffolk, Brooklyn, Queens, Westchester, and Rockland Counties, as well as in New Jersey and Connecticut from 2020 through June 2022, when they were arrested.
John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentences.
“For two years the Route Boys, led by Liriano, engaged in a brazen crime spree targeting local businesses throughout the Tri-State area, stealing money and pharmaceuticals to fuel their illegal drug business, which they protected with threats of violence and illegal firearms,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “These significant jail sentences make our communities safer and are the result of my Office’s collaboration with our law enforcement partners, who are dedicated to the shared mission of protecting local businesses from criminals and holding accountable those who seek to flood our communities with dangerous drugs.”
Mr. Durham thanked the New York City Police Department, Nassau County Police Department, Suffolk County Police Department, Westchester Safe Streets Task Force, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Kings County District Attorney’s Office, Queens County District Attorney’s Office, Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance with the investigation.
“Jason Liriano, the leader of the Route Boys gang, orchestrated a three-year burglary spree targeting various businesses across the city to steal cash and controlled substances for illicit resale,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “Liriano’s leadership tormented these local establishments and relied on firearms to further intimidate the gang’s victims into compliance. With the assistance from our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, the FBI maintains its steadfast resolve to dismantle any unlawful system that finances the gang presence in our communities.”
As set forth in the third superseding indictment, the government’s sentencing memorandum, and other court filings, the Route Boys began committing burglaries in late 2020, breaking into convenience stores, check-cashing businesses, laundromats, and restaurants, stealing primarily cash and tobacco products. In addition, the gang stole free-standing ATMs, forcing them open and stealing the cash from inside the machines, netting tens of thousands of dollars. They then began targeting small “mom-and-pop” pharmacies throughout the Tri-State area by smashing through windows and stealing controlled substances such as oxycodone and promethazine-codeine cough syrup. Liriano possessed a 9mm handgun in furtherance of the drug trafficking operation. They sold the stolen pharmaceuticals on social media immediately after a night of burglaries. The government’s conservative estimate is that the Route Boys committed at least 100 burglaries in the Tri-State area between approximately November 2020 and the summer of 2022. The Route Boys’ crime spree continued after their arrests and incarceration. Some members engaged in witness tampering and possessed illegal cell phones and controlled substances like oxycodone and marijuana while incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn and on Rikers Island, and many brazenly posted on social media using the contraband phones (including a photo posted by Liriano declaring “F**k the Feds”). On numerous occasions, including after he pleaded guilty in federal court, Liriano possessed homemade weapons and drugs inside the MDC, and stabbed a fellow inmate with a long shank when the inmate was working as an orderly delivering his breakfast.
Previously, nine other Route Boys members were convicted and sentenced to federal prison, including: Carlos Acevedo to 126 months in prison; Ramon Collado to 132 months in prison; Naresh Deonarrain to 180 months in prison; Devin Lopez-Dominguez to 60 months in prison; Charlie Maisonet to 96 months in prison; Cavier Nedrick to 120 months in prison; Eric Nunez to 144 months in prison; Alberto Santiago to 180 months in prison; and Jeffrey Vargas to 156 months in prison.
The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Samantha Alessi and Andrew P. Wenzel are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Dejah Turla.
The Defendant:
JASON LIRIANO (also known as “jay_bigfella”)
Age: 25
Brooklyn, New YorkDefendants Previously Sentenced:
CARLOS ACEVEDO (also known as “S.L.” and “cartier_am”)
Age: 26
Brooklyn, New YorkRAMON COLLADO (also known as “Greedy,” “greedy.billzz” and “greedyyt2gg”)
Age: 26
Brooklyn, New YorkNARESH DEONARRAIN (also known as “Kans” and “nocheck _ kans”)
Age: 27
Brooklyn, New YorkDEVIN LOPEZ-DOMINGUEZ
Age: 22
Brooklyn, New YorkCHARLIE MAISONET (also known as “Charlie_._rb”)
Age: 21
Brooklyn, New YorkCAVIER NEDRICK (also known as “Chief,” “big.chiefs,” and “Caviar Nedrick”)
Age: 26
Hauppauge, New YorkERIC NUNEZ (also known as “Tok” and “therealtok”)
Age: 26
Brooklyn, New YorkALBERTO SANTIAGO (also known as “Kom” and “dot.kom”)
Age: 27
Queens, New YorkJEFFREY VARGAS (also known as “Chito” and “chito_1838)
Age: 23
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-451 (S-3) (GRB)
Leader of Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to Life in PrisonRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Heath Lloyd Taylor, age 46, of LeFlore County, Oklahoma, was sentenced to life in prison for Drug Conspiracy.
Taylor’s co-defendants were sentenced at hearings held between October 16, 2024, and April 25, 2025. Seven members of the drug trafficking organization were sentenced for Drug Conspiracy:
- Aaron Guy Key, age 47, of Poteau, Oklahoma (240 months);
- Travis Austin Powers, age 38, of Anderson, South Carolina (168 months);
- Mallory Nicole Laird, age 37, of Poteau, Oklahoma (130 months);
- Terri Angela Stroud, age 53, of Spiro, Oklahoma (70 months);
- Kandi Anne Hankins, age 43, of Idabel, Oklahoma (57 months);
- Tracie Ann Sells, age 55, of Sallisaw, Oklahoma (41 months); and
- Jeremy Paul Newman, age 47, of Poteau, Oklahoma (24 months).
Five additional members of the drug trafficking organization were sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances:
- Taylor Dain Parnell Caldwell, age 35, of Poteau, Oklahoma (151 months);
- Cody Wade Reece, age 34, of Poteau, Oklahoma (151 months);
- Heather Leigh Brown, age 35, of McAlester, Oklahoma (87 months);
- Whitney Marie Granite, age 37, of Spiro, Oklahoma (58 months); and
- Randi Shawn Gann, age 35, of Heavener, Oklahoma (57 months).
According to investigators, between August 2022 and November 2023, Heath Lloyd Taylor, who was serving time in the Oklahoma State Penitentiary, led a drug trafficking organization operating in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. As part of that conspiracy, non-incarcerated members obtained, stored, and distributed over 25 kilograms of methamphetamine and approximately 465 grams of fentanyl from a base of stash houses. The stash houses also served as a base of operations where the defendants funneled drug proceeds, stored drug trafficking assets, and obtained and stored firearms.
This joint investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, working in cooperation with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections Office of the Inspector General, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and IRS Criminal Investigation.
Additionally, several law enforcement agencies contributed at various stages of the investigation, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the District 16 Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, the District 18 Drug and Violent Crime Taskforce, the Poteau Police Department, the Spiro Police Department, the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police, the Seminole Police Department, the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office, the LeFlore County Sheriff’s Office, the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Marshals Service.
“There should never be any doubt that there are countless victims of drug trafficking, and the violence associated with it,” said DEA Dallas Special Agent in Charge Eduardo A. Chavez, who oversees DEA operations in Oklahoma. “Defendant Taylor and his associates took advantage of individuals and showed no concern for those who stood in their path of destruction. Sentences of this nature are a win for our victims and a warning to drug traffickers.”
“Drug trafficking and the illegal activity associated with it continues to threaten the safety of the general public throughout our communities. Life in a federal prison should serve as a reminder to those who think they fly under the radar that they are and will continue to be our target. ATF remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to keep illegal substances out of our communities and investigating those responsible,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims.
“This was an outstanding joint investigation with our state and federal partners to dismantle and prosecute a complex criminal organization,” said OBN Director Donnie Anderson. “We want this to send a strong message that we will aggressively pursue those who think they can safely run their criminal network while behind bars.”
“The sentencings announced today conclude a months-long investigation and prosecution of a nefarious group that distributed large quantities of dangerous narcotics in and around the Poteau area,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “Thanks to the cooperative work of federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement, Taylor and his co-defendants are off the streets and their drug operation has ended.”
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, and the Honorable Raúl M. Arias-Marxuach, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico, sitting by designation, presided over the hearings. Defendants are in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Cornell and Jordan Howanitz represented the United States.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Las Vegas Man Sentenced to Prison for COVID-19 Unemployment Insurance Benefits FraudRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas resident was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon to 33 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for a scheme to steal nearly $240,000 in unemployment insurance benefits.
According to court documents, on July 15, 2020, Lavell Deshon Roberts was stopped when law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle he was driving. During a search of the vehicle, officers located a pistol, $50,000 in money orders, and 10 debit cards issued by the Nevada Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation (DETR).
Between June and July 2020, Roberts used the debit cards to fraudulently withdraw unemployment insurance benefits from ATMs in Texas, resulting in a total loss of $238,940.
Roberts and co-defendant Corey Marcus Valrey were indicted by a grand jury in October 2022. Roberts pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. Valrey pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and will be sentenced on July 11, 2025.
In addition to imprisonment, Roberts was ordered to pay restitution.
United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Karon Ransom for the United States Secret Service made the announcement.
The United States Secret Service investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Mina Chang and Kimberly Frayn prosecuted the case.
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Key evidence leads to guilty pleaRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man pled guilty today to theft of postal keys.
According to court documents, on June 9, 2024, Lee Vann Tyner, 48, broke into the Jolliff Station post office in Chesapeake by shattering the glass door to an entrance. Tyner entered the post office and stole several keys used to unlock mail receptacles.
On June 11, 2024, a Chesapeake Police officer conducted a traffic stop on an SUV that matched the description of a vehicle that the officer had received information was being used to sell narcotics. Tyner told the officer that he had no driver’s license or identification with him, and, initially, gave the officer a false name, date of birth, and Social Security number. Tyner falsely claimed that he had rented the SUV using Turo.
Inside the vehicle were postal keys that were confirmed to have been stolen from the Jolliff Station post office. Several Georgia driver’s licenses, mail, credit cards, debit cards, and Social Security cards that did not belong to Tyner were also found inside the SUV.
Tyner is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 9 and faces up to 10 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony C. Marek is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-4.
Justice Department Dismisses Half Century Old Louisiana Consent DecreeRead the Press Release
In 1966, the United States sued Plaquemines Parish School Board seeking to desegregate its schools. By 1975, the Court found the schools had been properly integrated, but the case was never removed from the Court system. Thus, for nearly a half century the case remained open.
That ended today. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon righted a historical wrong, freeing the local school district of federal oversight. For decades, the Parish was forced to yield to the demands of past Administrations, unnecessarily subjecting schools and students to probing federal oversight.
“No longer will the Plaquemines Parish School Board have to devote precious local resources over an integration issue that ended two generations ago,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This is a prime example of neglect by past administrations, and we’re now getting America refocused on our bright future.”
“Louisiana got its act together decades ago, and it is past time to acknowledge how far we have come,” said Leo Terrell, Senior Counsel to the Civil Rights Division. “America is back, and this Department of Justice is making sure the Civil Rights Division is correcting wrongs from the past and working for all Americans.”
Jury Convicts Florida Man for Stealing $10.9 Million from MedicareRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that a federal jury has found Lino Mallari Gutierrez (59, Palm City), a/k/a “Joe Gutierrez,” guilty of conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud, conspiracy to violate the federal anti-kickback statute, five substantive counts of health care fraud, and four substantive counts of payment of kickbacks in connection with a heath care program. After the jury verdict, the court remanded Gutierrez into custody. Gutierrez faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Gutierrez and his co-conspirators owned and operated two durable medical equipment (DME) companies that collectively billed Medicare more than $10.9 million for medically unnecessary DME, of which more than $5 million was paid to Gutierrez and his co-conspirators. Gutierrez and his co-conspirators paid kickbacks to marketing companies in exchange for signed doctors’ orders for unnecessary braces, which Gutierrez and the co-conspirators then used to bill Medicare. The marketing companies used call centers to solicit Medicare patients and telemedicine companies to procure prescriptions for unnecessary braces for these patients. Gutierrez concealed his role in the scheme by putting the DME companies in the names of straw owners.
As part of the conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud, Gutierrez also filed false records with his employer and a private regulatory organization to conceal his involvement in the DME companies. Gutierrez was in the process of establishing four more DME companies with additional straw owners—including Gutierrez’s mother and two of Gutierrez’s friends—when the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation identified the DME fraud through a national operation, which began in the Middle District of Florida, and through which dozens of co-conspirators were identified, charged, and convicted. Prior to law enforcement action, Gutierrez had already taken multiple steps to use these additional DME companies to bill Medicare for additional fraudulent claims. After learning of law enforcement action, Gutierrez moved Medicare proceeds from his account into other bank accounts under his control.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Peresie and Trial Attorney Margaret Mortimer of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.